The Section 8 program provides assistance for low-income families in the private rental market through the Housing Assistance Payment Program.

Rental Voucher Holders select a unit from the private market. Rental assistance makes the market rate housing affordable. Program participants normally pay no more than 30% of monthly-adjusted income towards rent and utilities. The Housing Assistance Payment subsidizes the balance of the rent to the property owner.

You may call the Housing Authority office to have the unit listed on our list of available units. You may also advertise in the newspaper or on rental marketing websites with the phrase "will accept Section 8." Our clients look for those listings.

The unit must meet HUD Housing Quality Standards (HQS) and the rent must be approvable within HUD Fair Market Rents and market rate comparable (copy of HQS available).

Landlord Screens Tenants
You must screen the prospective tenant carefully to insure that you are making a good selection. When one of our clients contacts you, we can only certify to you their income eligibility for the program. We cannot provide a reference as to their expected behavior as tenants. You may use any or all of the following screening procedures:

• Credit check
• Criminal check
• Landlord references
• Home visits

We encourage all of the above screening methods as long as you do not discriminate. Discrimination includes any tenant selection based on race, color, religion, ancestry, sex, country of birth, handicap or familial status. The prohibition against discrimination based on familial status makes it illegal, in most circumstances, to refuse to allow children to live in a residential unit.

Request for Lease Approval or Tenancy Approval
When you have selected a client, he/she will have a "Request for Lease Approval or Request for Tenancy Approval" form for you to complete. When the client submits the form to our office, a housing representative will contact you to schedule an inspection.

Inspection and Rent
The unit will be inspected to insure that it meets HUD's Housing Quality Standards. You will also be mailed a copy of the inspection repair list, or contacted by phone regarding repairs, if applicable.

Lease and Contract
After the unit passes inspection and the rent has been approved, the landlord and tenant enter into a lease for an initial term of one year. The Housing Authority and the landlord signs a Housing Assistance Payments Contract through which the rent is assisted on behalf of tenant.

• Yes
• The housing authority prohibits security deposits in excess of local state law and/or amounts charged by the owner to unassisted tenants.

• Maintain your property in good condition.
• Complete repairs within a reasonable amount of time upon request by the housing authority or tenant; 24 hours for emergencies. The amount of time that is considered reasonable depends on the nature of the problem. Usually 30 days or any approved extension by the housing authority.
• Set reasonable rules about the use of the unit and common areas.
• Except for emergencies or tenant's requested repairs, do not enter the unit without tenant's permission and/or proper notice.
• Collect appropriate security deposit as directed under the program and use it only as directed by state law.
• Comply with equal housing opportunity requirements
• Enforce tenant obligations under the lease.
• Expect your tenants to:
  • Pay rent on time
  • Keep unit clean
  • Avoid illegal activities
  • Permit access for repairs
  • Avoid damage to property
  • Refrain from disturbing others
  • Allow only those occupants on the lease to reside in the unit
  • Comply with terms and conditions of the lease and HAP contract
  • Take action through clerk of circuit court to evict when tenant violates the lease.

A common misconception is that the Housing Authority is responsible for the lease enforcement of Section 8 clients. The individual landlord/owner is responsible for enforcing the terms/conditions of the lease agreement (failure to pay rent, violating pet policy, etc.) However, the landlord should always provide the Hernando County Housing Authority with copies of notices that are sent to the tenant regarding lease violations; such as 3 day notices, 7 day notices, warnings, etc.  In general, a Section 8 client should be treated the same as unassisted tenant. If our client is committing serious and/or repeated violations of their lease agreement, the landlord should enforce the lease in accordance with Florida law.